The Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team marks the return of the "Quadrifoglio", the legendary badge that has appeared on Alfa Romeo's top performance cars since 1923, to the circuits. Featured on the engine cover of the new C37, the famous good-luck charm has a fascinating history, deeply rooted in the racing world.
The first Alfa Romeo car to carry the Quadrifoglio was, in 1923 at the Targa Florio, a specific "Corsa" (racing) version of the new RL, Giuseppe Merosi's masterpiece. No matter how intense the effort, how valid the project, how perfect in every detail, how big the sacrifice, in the world of races you also need a bit of luck. With this in mind, added to an ill-concealed superstition, the company decided to paint a lucky charm on the bonnets of its cars: a green four-leaf clover. Victory went to Ugo Sivocci, who was immediately followed by his team mate Ascari (the former displayed the green four-leaf clover on a white diamond-shaped background, the latter on a triangular background), while also Masetti's RL came in fourth. A great victory that ultimately launched the Brand into the olympus of manufacturers, and transformed the Quadrifoglio into an actual logo distinguishing all Alfa Romeo racing vehicles.
The same good-luck emblem also appeared on Brilli Peri's "P2" when he triumphed in the first "Motor Racing World Championship" in Monza in 1925, gaining the first of Alfa Romeo's five World Titles, and it was present again in 1950 and 1951, when Giuseppe "Nino" Farina and Juan Manuel Fangio drove the Alfa Romeo 158 and 159 cars, the famous "Alfettas", to success in the first two Formula 1 World Championships. Today, the legendary symbol returns to the highest level of motor racing to show the whole world the continuing strength and success of the Alfa Romeo philosophy, a constant search for excellence applied to racing, then transferred in its entirety to the brand's production cars.
The legend continues.
